Since Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016, questions have been raised about the unofficial campaign of Leave.EU and its chief backer Mr Banks, as well as the possible influence of Russian Federation on the referendum result. Banks said any claims that he had taken money from Moscow were "part of a fake news narrative".

Mr Banks described how he met the Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko for a "boozy lunch" in 2015, after being approached by a Russian "observer" at UKIP's party conference that year.

The reports emails existed showing Banks discussed a potential business deal involving six Russian gold mines with ambassador Alexander Yakovenko after being introduced to him by a suspected Russian spy.

The two will appear before the Commons culture and media committee on Tuesday to answer questions about alleged Russian involvement in the European Union referendum campaign, having initially pulled out of a hearing on Friday.

On Sunday, it emerged that Banks had two more meetings with Yakovenko than he had previously admitted in the book he penned on the referendum battle, 'The Bad Boys of Brexit.' The final meeting with the Russian ambassador was in November 2016, three days after Banks, Leave.EU's Communications Director Andy Wigmore, and ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage met Trump in NY after he had been elected president. Banks met with Moscow's United Kingdom ambassador three times, but says he did not take Russian money.

Mr Banks claims to have talked with a senior Central Intelligence Agency agent in London on his contacts with the Russian ambassador at 5 Hertford Street, a Mayfair club.

He also said there was "not one penny or one rouble" of Russian money given to Leave.EU. "There is no evidence".